Abstract
Meat quality has an important genetic component and can be modified by the fatty acid (FA) composition and the amount of fat contained in adipose tissue and muscle. The present study aimed to find genomic regions associated with the FA composition in backfat and muscle (longissimus dorsi) in 439 pigs with three different genetic backgrounds but having the Iberian breed in common. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed between 38,424 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the pig genome and 60 phenotypic traits related to backfat and muscle FA composition. Nine significant associated regions were found in backfat on the Sus scrofa chromosomes (SSC): SSC1, SSC2, SSC4, SSC6, SSC8, SSC10, SSC12, and SSC16. For the intramuscular fat, six significant associated regions were identified on SSC4, SSC13, SSC14, and SSC17. A total of 52 candidate genes were proposed to explain the variation in backfat and muscle FA composition traits. GWAS were also reanalysed including SNPs on five candidate genes (ELOVL6, ELOVL7, FADS2, FASN, and SCD). Regions and molecular markers described in our study may be useful for meat quality selection of commercial pig breeds, although several polymorphisms were breed-specific, and further analysis would be needed to evaluate possible causal mutations.
Highlights
Meat quality has an important genetic component and can be modified by the fatty acid (FA) composition and the amount of fat contained in adipose tissue and muscle
A Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) was performed using a total of 38,424 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the 60 phenotypic traits related with backfat and intramuscular fat (IMF) FA composition in a total of 439 pigs from three different backgrounds (BC1_DU, BC1_LD, and BC1_PI)
The candidate genes mapped in the genomic regions associated with the phenotypic traits of backfat and IMF are discussed in detail
Summary
Meat quality has an important genetic component and can be modified by the fatty acid (FA) composition and the amount of fat contained in adipose tissue and muscle. Through the use of GWAS, significant Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) in the pig genome have been identified for the FA composition in adipose tissue and muscle in several populations of crossed and purebred pigs such as Duroc, Landrace, Large White, and Erhualian[16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26] In these studies, strong candidate genes related with lipid metabolism have been found for the FA composition in adipose tissue and muscle: ELOVL fatty acid elongases 6 and 7 (ELOVL617,18,21,22,24,25 and ELOVL716,19,21,22), fatty acid synthase (FASN)[21,22,23], and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD)[19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26]. GWAS have been used in the IBMAP population to find QTLs associated with the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and m uscle[27,28]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
